Electrical connector



May 10, 1966 P. ciMlNo 3,251,019

' ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed oct. s, 1965 INVENT OR PQSqruMe Cx'mno 'BYRM Wg @am ATTORNEY 'through repeated usage.

United States Patent Office l lPatented May 10,` 1966 3,251,019ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Pasquale Cimino, 670 W. Woods Road, Hamden, Conn.Filed Oct. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 313,613 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-64) Thisinvention relates to electrical connectors, and

more particularly relates to electricalconnectors which are used torepeatedly make and break electrical circuits.

The invention is particularly adapted for use as a test socket intesting electrical devices and components and will therefore bedisclosed in such environment. An electrical connector in the form of atest socket adapted to receive the terminals or pins of an electronic orelectrical device for testing of such device, should have terminalswhich will withstand repeated making and breaking of electrical contactwith the pins of the devices to be tested and which do not becomedeformed or lose resiliency Additionally, the terminals or contacts yofsuch test sockets must be lirmly secured in a body of insulatingmaterial in a predetermined arrangement to receive the pins ofthevdevice to be tested without displacement of the terminals. However,it is desirable that some movement of the terminals of the test socketbe allowed in order to compensate for any slight misalignment of thepins of the device to be tested.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new andimproved electrical connector which will withstand repeated making andbreaking of electrical connections.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedelectrical connector having terminals securely locked in an insulatingbody and adapted to receive pins of a second device therein wherein theterminals are provided with some iloating motion to compensate for anyirregularity of the pins of the second device.

Another lobject of this invention is to provide a new and improvedelectrical contactor connector which cornprises an insulating bodyhaving terminals therein in a predetermined arrangement wherein theterminals 4are secured within the insulating body in a new and improvedmanner which firmly secures the terminals within the body, yet allowsmovement of the terminals within the body to compensate for anyirregularities in the pins to which the terminals are to be connected.

The features of this invention which are believed to be novel arepointed out with particularly and distinctly claimed in the concludingportion of this specification. However, the invention, both as to itsorganization and operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereof may best be appreciated by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an electrical connector embodying theinvention, and also showing an eX- emplary device with which theterminals of the connector are designed to make electrical contact;

FIG. 2 is asection seen along line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view seen along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is an end View of the device shown in FIG. 3 seen from theright-hand side;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 -but with the terminal shown in FIG.3 removed therefrom;

FIG. 5 illustrates a terminal which may be used in a connector embodyingthe invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates another terminal construction which may be used in aconnector embodying the invention.

A connector embodying the invention, generally indicated by thereference numeral 10, comprises a body of insulating material 11 havinga plurality of passages 12 therethrough which receive therein electricalconnector terminals 13. The terminals 13 are connected at one endthereof to lead wires 14 which are in turn connectable to someutilization device, not shown. device may be a test instrument adaptedto test the circuits or other elements of an electrical device 15 suchas a relay, which may comprise a cover member 16 sealed l to a header17, and having a plurality of terminal pins 18 extending therethrough,the terminal pins 18 being connected to circuits or other electricalelements within the cover 16. i

In the mentioned application of the invention the devices to be testedmay be relays which must be tested subsequent to manufacture thereof. Insuch case, each relay has its terminal pins 18, which may be of variousform, inserted into a test socket as illustrated by the connector 10 andthen various tests made 'on the electrical circuits within the vcover 16to determine the operability of the relay. The terminal pins 18 will bein a predetermined alignment, Within manufacturing tolerances.Therefore, the passages 12 with the terminals 13 therein are arranged ina similar predetermined arrangement adapted to receive the terminal pins18. The terminal pins 18 may take the rectangular cross-section formshown or they may be of other types well known to those skilled in theart, such as turret, hoop, flattened or pierce and hook types.

FIG. 2 illustrates the connector terminals 13 received and positioned inthe passages 12 delined in the body 11. As shown in FIG. 2 the connectorterminals 13 may be rectangular in cross-section, and have bifurcatedend por-V tions 19 adapted to receive and engage therebetween a terminalpin 18. The connector terminals 13 are preferably of a material whichresists abrasion and is rela tively hard, as conductive material, toprovide a spring action between bifurcated end portions 19 so therewillbe some compressive engagement between the portions 19 of a terminal 13and the terminal pins 18. In the relaxed position, the dimension betweenthe facing surfaces of the portions 19 is designed to be slightly lessthan the thickness of the pins 18 received therein to insure goodengagement and electrical contact therebetween. The opposite ends of theconnector terminals are provided with a solder well 20 adapted toreceive therein a lead and solder for connecting the connector terminalt-o the lead, not shown in FIG. 2.

In manufacturing the connector the passages 12 are rst drilled or`otherwise dened' in insulating body 11 in'a predetermined pattern andof predetermined sizes depending upon the sizes of the terminals to bereceived therein. The end of the passage receiving the bifurcatedportions 19 of the connector terminals are then counter-bored to alarger size which provides a predetermined amount of clearance22'between the bifurcated portion of the terminal connector and thecounter-bored walls of passage 12 to allow for lateral movement ofportions 19 when a pin 18 is inserted therebetween. If rectangularcross- The utilization section connector terminals are used. arectangular broaching tool is then used to make portion 23 of passage 12rectangular in cross-section substantially congruent with thecross-section of the terminal connectors but slightly larger by apredetermined dimension. The connector terminals 13 are formed with anaperture 24 therethrough which receives therein a pin member 25 oflesser dimension than aperture 24. The ends of pin 25 which are chosento extend beyond the connector terminal a predetermined dimension arethen rolled down as illustrated in FIG. 3, and the connector terminals13 are inserted into passages 12. This may be accomplished by insertinga tool between the bifurcated end portions 19 at the bight portion 26 ofthe connector terminals and tapping the tool to drive the connectorterminal into the passage a predetermined distance until the ends 27 ofthe terminal coincide or bear a predetermined dimensional relationshipwith the surface 28 of the insulating body.

It will be noted that rolled down ends or ears 29 of pins 25 have a spanthereacross which is greater than the dimension across walls 23 of thepassage 12. It will further be noted that the ears 29 are inclined withrespect to the length of the terminal member and extend into theinsulating body beyond the walls 23 thereof to lock the terminal to thebody 11. The inclination of the ears is in a direction opposed towithdrawal of the terminal member from the passage from the direction ofinclination. With this arrangement terminals 13 may have a small amountof pivotal motion about pin 25 and further in view of the clearancebetween the various wall portions of passage 12 and the exteriorsurfaces of the terminals 13, may have a floating movement withinpassage 12. In practice this clearance may be on the order of 1&2. Thisfreedom of the connector terminals to float while in passages 12, whileat the same time being securely retained therein by pin 25, allow theconnector terminals to adjust to terminal pins 18 and compensate for anyirregularities or tolerances in the spacing thereof.

The insulating body 11 is selected to be a material which may bedistorted or cold-owed, and has a memory characteristic which will causethe material to return to its original shape, `or essentially originalshape, subsequent to such distortion or cold-owing; One such materialwhich is used in the invention as an insulating body istetrafiuoroethylene which is commercially available under the trademarkTeflon, the registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours Company fornuoro-carbon resins. Tetrauoroethylene has cold-iiowing qualities suchthat it may be distorted under pressure up to about 35 percent of theoriginal shape of an object from which it `will relax to a distortion ofless than l5 percent when the distorting pressure is relieved.Therefore, when the terminal connector 13 with the pin 25 therein isforced into the pas sage 12 in the manner described, the ears 29 willproduce grooves or gouges in the walls 21 and 23 of passage 12 while theconnector terminal is forced therein. Subsequently, however, thematerial of the insulating body due to the memory characteristic o-f thematerial will return substantially to its original shape, leaving theears 29 of pin 25 embedded in the material through the Walls 23 to lockthe terminal connector securely in a passage 12 yet allow each terminalconnector to have a floating movement within the connector body. Theinsulating body 11 may be formed in any convenient or desired shape.

If desired, the terminals may be formed from round stock as exemplifiedby the terminal 13', FIG. 5. Terminal 13 may be formed substantially thesame as terminal 13 with bifurcated end portions 19 and a solder well20' and also provided with an aperture 24 to receive a locking pin 25therein. Terminal connector 13 is formed from a section of round stockthat has a portion stamped out to define the bifurcated end portions 19in a similar manner to connector terminal 13. It is preferred that theconnector terminals, regardless of form, be made from beryllium copperto insure high abrasion resistance, and hardness which provides thespring action of the bifurcated end portions 19 and 19'. If it should bedesired the connector terminals 13 and 13 may be formed in such a manneras to provide thereon ears corresponding to the ears 29 of pin 25. Thismay be done at the same time that the connector terminal stock isstamped or otherwise acted upon to define bifurcated end portions 19.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, integral ears 30 may be provided on a terminal31 which correspond in function to ears 29, FIG. 3, on terminal 13. Theears 30 may be for-med by using a chiseling tool to strike ears 30 fromcorners of terminal 31 at a desired angle. Terminal 31 is otherwisesimilar to terminal 13.

While for purposes of disclosure a preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been described and illustrated and further embodiments andmodilications thereof pointed out, other embodiments of the invention aswell as modifications to the disclosure embodiments may occur to thoseskilled in the art which do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, it is intended toV cover in the appended claimsall embodiments of the invention as well as modifications of thedisclosed embodiment of the invention which do not depart from thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising a body of insulating materialhaving at least one terminal receiving passage dened therethrough, anelongated terminal member in the passage, said terminal member and thepassage being so relatively dirnensioned as to allow limited lateralmovement of said terminal member therein, securing means carried by saidterminal member extending transversely therefrom into and being embeddedin said material beyond the surface of the walls defining said passage,the dimension across said securing means being greater than thedimension across said passage, said insulating material possessing aphysical characteristic which allows recovery thereof after cold iiowdeformation thereof so that said terminal member with said securingmeans thereon may be drawn through said passage to a predeterminedposition therein and said material recovers about said securing means tolock said terminal member in a predetermined position in said passage,said securing means comprising integral ears struck from -Said terminalmember, said ears being inclined with respect to the length of saidterminal member in a direction to resist withdrawal of said terminalmember from said passage from the direction of inclination.

2. An electrical connector comprising a body of insulating materialhaving at least one terminal receiving passage defined therethrough, anelongated terminal mem- 'ber in said passage, said terminal member andthe associated passage being so relatively dimensioned as to allowlimited lateral movement of said terminal member in their passage,securing means carried by said terminal member extending transverselytherefrom into and being embedded in said material beyond the surfacesdefining the Walls of said passages in said material, the dimensionacross said securing means being greater than the maximum dimensionacross said passage, said insulating material possessing a physicalcharacteristic which allows recovery thereof after cold ow deformationthereof so that said terminal member with said securing 'means thereonmay be drawn through -said passage to a predetermined position therein,andsaid material recovers about said securing means to lock saidterminal member in its passage, said securing means comprising -a pinloosely received in a transverse aperture in said terminal member andextending from both sides of said terminal member.

3. An electrical connector comprising -a body of insulating materialhaving a plurality of terminal receivingpassages defined therethrough,an elongated terminal member in each of said passages, said terminalmembers and the associated passages being so relatively dimensioned asto allow limited lateral movement of said terminal members in theirpassages, said terminals being bifurcated at one end thereof within saidl passages to provide spaced apart contact arms adapted to receive anelectrical contact therebetween, said terminal members being of aresilient material to allow spreading of said contact arms when anelectrical contact is inserted therebetween, securing means carried byeach of said terminal members extending transversely therefrom into andbeing embedded in said material beyond the surfaces deining the walls ofsaid passages in said material, the dimension across said securing meansbeing greater than the maximum dimension across said passage, saidsecuring means comprising integral ears struck from said terminalmeminclination, said insulating material possessing a physical icharacteristic which allows recovery thereof after cold flow deformationthereof so that said terminal members with said securing means thereonmay be drawn through said passage-s to predetermined positions thereinand said material recovers about said securing means to lock saidterminal member in its passage.

4. The connector of claim 2 wherein the extending ends of inclination.

5 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 465,430 12/1891Desant 339-24 1,157,026 10/1915 Meschenmoser 339-64 10 1,222,721 4/1917Bissen et al. 339-64 2,231,347 2/1941 Renner 339-62 2,469,397 5/1949Mezek 339-217 2,701,869 2/1955 Hobson 339-221 1 2,790,153 4/1957 Arsen339-184 5 2,944,240 7/1960 Barber 339-64 2,944,325 7/1960 clark 339-2182,972,730 2/1961 Abrams 339-221 3,027,537 3/1962 Hess et al 339-191 203,058,091 10/1962 Heuschen 339-217 3,083,351 3/1963 Nielsen 339-2173,086,074 4/1963 Justetal 339-221 PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Primary Examiner.

25 I. D. SEERS, W. D. MILLER, Assistant Examiners.

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING A BODY OF INSULATING MATERIALHAVING AT LEAST ONE TERMINAL RECEIVING PASSAGE DEFINED THERETHROUGH, ANELONGATED TERMINAL MEMBER IN THE PASSAGE, SAID TERMINAL MEMBER AND THEPASSAGE BEING SO RELATIVELY DIMENSIONED AS TO ALLOW LIMITED LATERALMOVEMENT OF SAID TERMINAL MEMBER THEREIN, SECURING MEANS CARRIED BY SAIDTERMINAL MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREFROM INTO AND BEING EMBEDDEDIN SAID MATERIAL BEYOND THE SURFACE OF THE WALLS DEFINING SAID PASSAGE,THE DIMENSION ACROSS SAID SECURING MEANS BEING GREATER THAN THEDIMENSION ACROSS SAID PASSAGE, SAID INSULATING MATERIAL POSSESSING APHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC WHICH ALLOWS RECOVERY THEREOF AFTER COLD FLOWDEFORMATION THEREOF SO THAT SAID TERMINAL MEMBER WITH SAID SECURINGMEANS THEREON MAY BE DRAWN THROUGH SAID PASSAGE TO A PREDETERMINEDPOSITION THEREIN AND SAID MATERIAL RECOVERS ABOUT SAID SECURING MEANS TOLOCK SAID TERMINAL MEMBER IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION IN SAID PASSAGE,SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING INTEGRAL EARS STRUCK FROM SAID TERMINALMEMBER, SAID EARS BEING INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTH OF SAIDTERMINAL MEMBER IN A DIRECTION TO RESIST WITHDRAWAL OF SAID TERMINALMEMBER FROM SAID PASSAGE FROM THE DIRECTION OF INCLINATION.